


Three Steady Knocks

by playingthedevil



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Past Relationship(s), Slow Burn, healing percival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 12:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18315653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/playingthedevil/pseuds/playingthedevil
Summary: "I’ve tried everything to climb that high wall of yours but you keep growing thorns around it. I was the one who argued to keep you on as Director. The board wanted to kick you to the gutter.”Percival couldn’t hide his shocked expression. His eyes went wide and his hand slowly dropped to his sides. His body moving at its own accord. Percival quickly steadied himself by gripping the edge of his desk and said a word that cut through Rosella’s already bleeding heart.“Leave.”





	Three Steady Knocks

Three steady knocks rang through Percival’s office. He may be limp, but he’s not deaf. Yet he didn’t respond to said knocks. Another three knocks came, this time followed by his door creaking open. He should’ve locked his door today.

A woman emerged and walked straight to one of the chairs in front of him. She didn’t say a word, she just sat down, leaned back, and waited patiently. She watched Percival with a determined gaze.

“Can’t you tell I don’t want to disturbed right now, Ms. Elliot?” Percival said those words with a cold tone without looking up from his work, one think hell might freeze.

“Why weren’t you at the briefing this morning, Director?” She answered his rhetorical question with a real one. Rosella tried to keep her voice steady. Unfortunately, Percival heard a hint of concern. He doesn’t want to be pittied. Isn’t the humiliation of what he went through enough already?

He put his quill aside and crossed his arms. He looked her straight in the eyes, the crackling emotion behind them trying to contain itself. “And what good would it do? We both know I only still hold the title of Director because the board pity me.”

 “For one, no one pities you. And two, do show up when you’re needed or I’ll-”

“Or what? You’ll fire me?”

Rosella snapped when she heard his bark. She didn’t come with any ill intentions and how dare he accused her of such a thing. She took a deep breath and stood up to leave the room. In fact, she was halfway to the door when she suddenly spun around and marched right back to his desk.

“I’ve had enough of your childish behaviour, Percival. I know you went through hell and back. But don’t you dare speak to me like I’m the one making your life miserable. You! You are the one making your life miserable! I’ve tried everything to climb that high wall of yours but you keep growing thorns around it. I was the one who argued to keep you on as Director. The board wanted to kick you to the gutter.”

Percival couldn’t hide his shocked expression. His eyes went wide and his hand slowly dropped to his sides. His body moving at its own accord, he only realized he has stood up when pain pinched his left leg. He winced and Rosella almost reached out to him, anger replaced by concern. Percival quickly steadied himself by gripping the edge of his desk and said a word that cut through Rosella’s already bleeding heart.

“Leave.”

 

-

 

Rosella hadn’t seen Percival in four days since her outburst in his office on Thursday. He had taken one of his sick days on Friday. Sick days might’ve been a foreign concept before the incident, but now Percival took them as often as he can. He had become somewhat of a recluse. This morning his secretary said he simply didn’t come to work without any notice. Rosella couldn’t concentrate for the rest of the day. In fact, she got a cut on the right side of her upper waist because she wasn’t fast enough when she dodged a curse from an illegal trader of magical creatures. The cut was deep and the healer sent her home. She complied because she knew nothing good could come from her scattered mind. She could’ve died but that matter wasn’t the one occupying her mind right now.

 

-

 

Three steady knocks rang through Percival’s apartement. He kept staring at his fireplace even though he heard the knocks because he knew who it was.

“Percival.” He heard her voice from behind the door. A voice so soft he probably wouldn’t hear it if he wasn’t paying attention.

“Percival. I know you’re in there. Please. Percival.” Her voice is louder this time and she couldn’t keep it from breaking any longer. She covered her mouth with her gloved hands so Percival couldn’t hear her sob. She leaned back against his door and looked up, trying to contain her tears. She got starteled and whipped her body back to face Percival’s door when she heard a lock turning. She was looking at the floor when the door opened.

“Come in.” Percival flung the door harshly. But when he saw her slightly shaking form, the grip on his door handle loosened.

Rosella felt like her feet were glued at the floor, she couldn’t move. She saw a cane in front of her feet through her tear blurred vision, followed by Percival’s voice. “Do you want to come in or not? I haven’t got all day.” His words might’ve conveyed feeling of annoyance, but his voiced conveyed something entirely different. He always had a soft spot for a rose. The flower and the person standing in front of him. At that moment, he was repulsed by himself for making Rose cry. He carefully put a hand on Rose’s waist, trying to lead her inside his apartement.

Rose hissed at the contact. Percival thought his touch was unwelcomed, but one close look at her gave away the real reason. Percival knew that tired battle eyes even through the tears. “Are you hurt?” Rose didn’t want to admit she hurt herself because she couldn’t stop worrying about a man who probably doesn’t care for her as much. So instead, she smiled and walked inside his apartement.

Rose helped herself to Percival’s couch. She was getting a little lightheaded. When her vision cleared, she saw Percival coming from the bathroom bringing a metal box. He sat down next to her left side. How strange, she thought. There’s plenty of space on her right side and he did just came from her right. Percival’s next word confused her even further. “Pull up your shirt.”

What did he just say? Was her hearing betraying her? “Par... pardon, sir?”

“No need for formalities, Rose. Just do as I say.”

Rose sat still, dumbfounded. All she could do was watch Percival as he opened the metal box. He pulled out several potions, cottons, and bandages. Ah... Rose silently muttered to herself. Percival stared at her and shot up one of his gorgeous eyebrow, silently commanding her to do as he said. A hint of pink appeared at her cheek as she pulled her blouse up. Her blush spread rapidly and she abruptly pulled her blouse back down when she remembered her cut was close to her breast. “Percival... I – I don’t – I’m fine. It’s just a small cut. Nothing major.”

“May I remind you that I have... erm... seen and touched you there before. And I think your stitches might have come out.” Percival pointed at a small red patch coloring her formerly prestine white blouse.

“Damn it! I just changed into this.”

There she is. His potty mouth co-director. _His_ was the only word that kept repeating in Percival’s head. He shook his head. No, he couldn’t. Employee relationship is not allowed in MACUSA. That was their reason for not forming any serious relationship with each other, he tried to convince himself. Because the real reason was they were both too afraid to admit they wanted more. And then Grindelwald took his place and any chance at a relationship vanished. Grindelwald knew how well Rose know Percival. She had been sent to more and more fieldwork as a way to slowly push her out of his life.

“Just take off your shirt. I’ll lend you one of mine after I fix your cut,”

“Percival, there’s no need really. I could take care of myself.”

“I know. Let me help you as an apology for being such a jerk last time.” An apologetic smile apeared on Percival’s face.

“Oh alright then, but don’t get any ideas.”

This time it was Percival who showed a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. “I’ll be a good boy. Promise.” He crossed his heart like a silly schoolboy which made Rose surpressed a laugh. She took off her blouse as commanded. She felt awkward  sitting there with only her bra and she was also not quite sure how to position her arms. Her eyes darted from one corner of the room to another, not wanting to meet Percival’s eyes. Her awkward demenour made Percival took action. He wrapped his hands around hers, settled her left arm on the back of the couch and her right hand on his right shoulder. The gesture coupled with him unwrapping her bandages made the situation more embarrassing for Rose.

“These stitches weren’t done properly. And there were no trace of healing spells. I have to redo the whole thing. Who stitched you up?”

“Oh one of the trainee healer did it. I think today was her first day.”

“And you didn’t check the stiches before she bandaged you up?” He sounded stern but it was beacuse he cared for her.

“Well, I wasn’t thinking clearly. If I was, I wouldn’t have gotten this nasty cut in the first place.”

“What was the mission?”, “Who were you with?”, “Which bastards did this to to you?” He kept bombarding her with all sorts of questions as he tended to her wound. Smaller cuts only need  basic healing spell but hers was deep, so extra measures like the stitches were necesessary. He casted a numbing spell then proceed to undo and redo her stitches. He casted a healing spell and dabbed some potion for good measure before putting new bandages around her waist. All aurors received basic training on healing magic and Percival has dealt with enough injuries in his career to be good at healing magic.

Rose quickly pulled back the hand on his shoulder as soon as he had finished bandaging her up. Percival stood up and walked to his bedroom. Rose knew where he was heading because she had spent quite a few times there. Her mind started to wander to those memories, to the lightnings and thunders accompanying their last night together before Percival went to Europe. Now that she thinks about it, maybe the dark and gloomy night was a sign of what was about to come. _Percival_ came back a different man, litteraly. He went from a firm leader to a cruel one. He also went form someone who easily controlled his emotions to someone who could barely contain it. The patronizing looks he threw some no-majs who crossed their path should’ve been a dead giveaway from the beginning.

Rose always blamed herself for being a lovesick puppy, for turning a blind eye when it comes to Percival’s fault. _He is just tired. Maybe he is angry because the mission failed. He has a lot of work. Maybe... maybe he finally got tired of me, a daughter of insignificant no-majs couple._ Her thoughts were suddenly stopped by a light grey sweater appearing in front of her eyes. He remembered her favorite sweater of his.

“A penny for your thought?”

“Just thinking about the mission.” She tried to snatch the sweater out of his hand but he pulled it back, not satisfied with her answer.

“You’re lying.”

“Am not.”

“Fine then. What made you got hit by the curse?”

“I told you I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“What made you not think clearly? As the Director, I have a right to know why my co-director got hit during a mission.”

“Oh come on. A few days ago yu threw me out of your office for reminding you of your title. Now you’re using it to make me talk. No no no no. You don’t get to do that. And you would’ve been able to read the detailed report I wrote about the mission if you actually bother to go to work today.”

Deafening silence followed as they entered a staring contest to see who would yield first. Percival spoke first, but that was not him yielding. They were both too stubborn to admit defeat. “You usually give me a piece of your thought whether I want it or not. What made you so defensive?”

Rose delivered her next words with an air of winning confidence and a wicked smile. “Your interrogation technique won’t work on me.”

Sometimes Percival didn’t even realize when he was acting like an auror. Yes, she was right. This was’t an interrogation. So he changed his tactic. Rose knew he was playing dirty when he sat down, put his sweater on her lap, and his hand stayed on her thigh. He knew what she was thinking about. The fact that she went straight to his apartement after her mission should’ve been evidence enough, but he still wanted to hear it from her. His finger traced endless small circles on her thigh, his eyes never breaking their determined gaze.

Rose felt like Percival was starting a fire with that persistent touch. It spread slowly but surely to her whole body. She couldn’t stand the heat anymore. She put on his sweater hastily as she intentionally mumbled her answer. “You”

“Were you now?” Rose really wanted to wipe that smug look from Percival’s face. Everything about him annoyed her at the moment: his perfectly combed hair, his chocolate eyes, his _lips_. Her face must’ve been as red as boiled seafood. Not the most attractive thing to be compared to, but it felt accurate.

“I’m sorry.” The smugness from Percival face suddenly turned to one of regret. His sudden apology made Rose feel stupid for saying the truth.

“No. Don’t be. I was the one at fault for thinking about something I shouldn’t be thinking about, you know. Habits are hard to break your teasing was a habit. I get it. No need to apologize. It was totally...” Her rambling was cut off by his lips on hers. She momentarily went rigid, her brain trying to catch up. But the familiar feeling of his lips was stronger, her eyes fluttered close and her lips returned his sweet kiss. When they parted, Rose still saw regret on Percival’s face. Alarms were starting in her head when Percival started to speak.

“I’m not sorry for teasing you. I’ve always loved to tease you.” He gave her a bright smile. _I love you_ was what he was actually thinking. But his expression went back to one of regret when he continued. “However, I am sorry for mistaking your genuine care for pity...” Once again his expression changed, this time to one of sorrow. His body started to shake, but he persevered.  “I’m sorry for not trying hard enough to come back to you when that bastard took my place. I’m sorry he ever took my place beside you. I don’t deserve your kind treatment. Not after the immense pain that I’ve caused you.” Tears prickled Percival’s eyes. He grinded his teeth together to stop himself from sobbing.

Rose knew Percival needed to cry and he couldn’t do it as openly as her. So she cradled his neck and gently pulled his face down onto her shoulder. The moment his face was buried away, he sobbed. He let everything go. His body was shaking violently, one might think he was having a seizure. Rose put her other hand on his back, moving it up and down in an effort to soothe him. She couldn’t do anything else seeing as she was also silently sobbing. They both felt relief at the end, for knowing that Percival was one step closer to healing.


End file.
